U.S. patent application number 12/612318 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-05 for application suggestions for mobile communication device based on location-based directory information.
This patent application is currently assigned to CELLCO PARTNERSHIP d/b/a VERIZON WIRELESS, CELLCO PARTNERSHIP d/b/a VERIZON WIRELESS. Invention is credited to Kathryn Mary Dobroth, Hannah Youngsil MOON, Dorothy Beau Morley.
Application Number | 20110105150 12/612318 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43735071 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110105150 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MOON; Hannah Youngsil ; et
al. |
May 5, 2011 |
APPLICATION SUGGESTIONS FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE BASED ON
LOCATION-BASED DIRECTORY INFORMATION
Abstract
A mobile communication device may include a mobile communication
system configured to facilitate wireless mobile communications. A
location sensing system may be configured to sense the location of
the mobile communication device. A location-based points of
interest application may be configured to locate points of interest
within the vicinity of the mobile communication device based on the
location of the mobile communication device. An application mapping
application may be configured to locate user applications that are
relevant to the points of interest within the vicinity of the
mobile communication device. A user interface may be configured to
present links to the user applications.
Inventors: |
MOON; Hannah Youngsil;
(Boston, MA) ; Morley; Dorothy Beau; (Wakefield,
MA) ; Dobroth; Kathryn Mary; (Jamaica Plain,
MA) |
Assignee: |
CELLCO PARTNERSHIP d/b/a VERIZON
WIRELESS
|
Family ID: |
43735071 |
Appl. No.: |
12/612318 |
Filed: |
November 4, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/456.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 4/50 20180201; H04W
4/026 20130101; H04W 4/02 20130101; H04W 4/023 20130101; H04L 67/18
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/456.3 |
International
Class: |
H04W 4/02 20090101
H04W004/02 |
Claims
1. A mobile communication device comprising: a mobile communication
system configured to facilitate wireless mobile communications; a
location sensing system configured to sense the location of the
mobile communication device; a location-based points of interest
application configured to locate points of interest within the
vicinity of the mobile communication device based on the location
of the mobile communication device; an application mapping
application configured to locate user applications that are
relevant to the points of interest within the vicinity of the
mobile communication device; and a user interface configured to
present links to the user applications.
2. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the
location-based points of interest application is configured to
locate the points of interest based on metadata indicative of at
least one classification for each service.
3. The mobile communication device of claim 2 wherein the user
applications are each associated with metadata that is indicative
of at least one classification for each user application.
4. The mobile communication device of claim 3 wherein the metadata
is descriptive of points of interest to which each user application
is relevant.
5. The mobile communication device of claim 3 wherein the
application mapping application is configured to locate the user
applications based on matches between the points of interest
metadata and the user application metadata.
6. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the
location-based points of interest application is configured to
locate the points of interest by querying a server that is not part
of the wireless mobile communication device.
7. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the
application mapping application may be configured to locate user
applications by querying a server that is not part of the wireless
mobile communication device.
8. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the
location-based points of interest application is configured to
locate points of interest which include local businesses.
9. The mobile communication device of claim 8 wherein the
location-based points of interest application is configured to
locate points of interest which include local restaurants.
10. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the user
interface is configured to present a user-selectable icon which,
when selected by a user, causes a link to be displayed to a server
at which the user may acquire one of the user applications.
11. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the
application mapping application is configured to locate user
applications without requiring any personal information about a
user.
12. Computer-readable storage media containing computer-executable
programming instructions which, when read and executed by a mobile
communication device having a mobile communication system
configured to facilitate wireless mobile communications, a location
sensing system configured to sense the location of the mobile
communication device, and a user interface, cause the mobile
communication device to: locate points of interest within the
vicinity of the mobile communication device based on the location
of the mobile communication device; locate user applications that
are relevant to the points of interest within the vicinity of the
mobile communication device based on the location of the mobile
communication device; and present links to the user applications on
the user interface.
13. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the
user applications are each associated with metadata that is
indicative of at least one classification for each user
application.
14. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the
metadata is descriptive of points of interest to which each user
application is relevant.
15. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the
programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile
communication device to locate metadata indicative of at least one
classification for each service.
16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein the
programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile
communication device to locate the user applications based on
matches between the points of interest metadata and the user
application metadata.
17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the
programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile
communication device to locate user applications by querying a
server that is not part of the wireless mobile communication
device.
18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the
programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile
communication device to locate the points of interest by querying a
server that is not part of the wireless mobile communication
device.
19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the
programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile
communication device to locate points of interest which include
businesses.
20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 19 wherein the
programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile
communication device to locate points of interest which include
local restaurants.
21. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the
programming instructions are configured to cause the user interface
to present a user-selectable icon which links to a server at which
the user may acquire one of the user applications.
22. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the
programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile
communication device to locate user applications without requiring
any personal information about a user.
Description
BACKGROUND TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This disclosure relates to downloadable applications for
wireless mobile communication devices, such as cell phones.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0002] Many mobile communication devices now have the ability to
run a broad variety of specialized applications and to allow the
user to select and download ones that are of interest.
[0003] This added functionality has led to application stores, that
is, servers which maintain inventories of applications for purchase
and download. Examples include the iPhone Apple Store, Blackberry's
RIM Store, Nokia's OVi Store, and Verizon Wireless' upcoming V-CAST
Store.
[0004] As a consequence of these developments, the number of
downloadable applications has risen dramatically. Unfortunately,
there are now so many downloadable applications that a user may
have difficulty locating ones that are of interest.
[0005] Methods do exist for helping users locate downloadable
applications of interest. These include keyword searching, "most
popular" lists, and category browsing. Unfortunately, these
approaches may require the user to spend time searching for
desirable applications. They also may not do an effective job at
reducing the number of applications which are presented to the user
and/or at proposing the most relevant ones. These approaches may
not even be of much help to a user that is not even aware of a
particular type of relevant application. These approaches also may
not take into consideration the personal interests or circumstances
of a user.
SUMMARY
[0006] A mobile communication device may include a mobile
communication system configured to facilitate wireless mobile
communications. A location sensing system may be configured to
sense the location of the mobile communication device. A
location-based points of interest application may be configured to
locate points of interest within the vicinity of the mobile
communication device based on the location of the mobile
communication device. An application mapping application may be
configured to locate user applications that are relevant to the
points of interest within the vicinity of the mobile communication
device. A user interface may be configured to present links to the
located user applications.
[0007] The location-based points of interest application may be
configured to locate the points of interest based on metadata
indicative of at least one classification for each service. Each
user application may be associated with metadata that is indicative
of at least one classification for each user application. The
metadata may be descriptive of points of interest to which each
user application is relevant. The application mapping application
may be configured to locate the user applications based on matches
between the points of interest metadata and the user application
metadata.
[0008] The location-based points of interest application may be
configured to locate the points of interest by querying a server
that is not part of the wireless mobile communication device.
[0009] The application mapping application may be configured to
locate user applications by querying a server that is not part of
the wireless mobile communication device.
[0010] The location-based points of interest application may be
configured to locate points of interest which include local
business, such as restaurants and/or retail stores.
[0011] The user interface may be configured to present a
user-selectable icon which, when selected by a user, causes a link
to be displayed to a server at which the user may acquire one of
the user applications.
[0012] The application mapping application may be configured to
locate user applications without requiring any personal information
about a user.
[0013] These, as well as other components, steps, features,
objects, benefits, and advantages, will now become clear from a
review of the following detailed description of illustrative
embodiments, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0014] The drawings disclose illustrative embodiments. They do not
set forth all embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in
addition or instead. Details that may be apparent or unnecessary
may be omitted to save space or for more effective illustration.
Conversely, some embodiments may be practiced without all of the
details that are disclosed. When the same numeral appears in
different drawings, it refers to the same or like components or
steps.
[0015] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile communication device,
an associated network communication system, and related servers,
all configured to provide application suggestions based on
location-based directory information.
[0016] FIGS. 2a-2e illustrate a sequence of screens on a mobile
communication device that provide application suggestions based on
location-based directory information.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0017] Illustrative embodiments are now discussed. Other
embodiments may be used in addition or instead. Details that may be
apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save space or for a more
effective presentation. Conversely, some embodiments may be
practiced without all of the details that are disclosed.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile communication device,
an associated network communication system, and related servers,
all configured to provide application suggestions based on
location-based directory information.
[0019] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a mobile communication device 101
may be configured to communicate with a location-based points of
interest server 113, an application mapping server 115, and an
application store server 117. A network communication system 119
may be configured to facilitate this communication.
[0020] The mobile communication device 101 may include a mobile
communication system 103, a location sensing system 107, a
location-based points of interest application 109, and an
application mapping application 111.
[0021] The mobile communication system 103 may be configured to
facilitate communication between the mobile communication device
101, one or more of the servers 113, 115, and 117, and other
communication devices, such as other mobile communication devices
and servers.
[0022] The mobile communication system 103 may be of any type. For
example, it may include a transmitter, a receiver, one or more data
processing sub-systems, and/or other components. The mobile
communication system 103 may include a user interface 105, which
may include any type of user interface device, such as a
microphone, loud speaker, headphone, earphone, display (including
touch screen), mouse, and/or keyboard.
[0023] The location sensing system 107 may be configured to sense
the location of the mobile communication device 101. The location
sensing system 107 may be of any type. For example, it may include
a GPS chip set configured to determine the geographic location of
the mobile communication device 101 based on positioning signals
from global satellites. The location sensing system 107 may in
addition or instead include an architecture that uses both GPS as
well as network elements to determine position (AGPS). The location
sensing system can in addition or instead use cell tower
triangulation to determine position based on the nearest cell tower
ID.
[0024] The location-based points of interest application 109 may be
configured to locate points of interest within the vicinity of the
mobile communication device 101, based on the location of the
mobile communication device 101. Local points of interest may
include all local business, such as retail stores and restaurants,
all listings in Yellow Pages, local social networking
opportunities, and/or GPS navigational points of interest. To
facilitate this functionality, the location-based points of
interest application 109 may be configured to send a query to one
or more location-based points of interest servers for these local
points of interest. The location-based points of interest
application 109 may be configured to utilize the mobile
communication system 103 for the purpose of sending these queries
and receiving responses from them.
[0025] The queries which the location-based points of interest
application 109 is configured to send may include a broad variety
of information, such as information identifying the mobile
communication device 101, the current location of the mobile
communication device 101 as sensed by the location sensing system
107, and information relating to the identity of the server or
other communication system to which the query should be
delivered.
[0026] The location information may be in any form. For example, it
may consist of or include geographic coordinates, as determined by
the location sensing system 107, such as longitude and latitude.
Altitude may or may not be part of this information. A street
address may in addition or instead be sent.
[0027] The queries which the location-based points of interest
application 109 is configured to send may or may not include
information about the types of location-based points of interest
which are desired. For example, the queries may or may not specify
an interest in only certain types of local points of interest, such
as business, retail stores, restaurants, listings in Yellow Pages,
local social networking opportunities, and/or GPS navigational
points of interest. The location-based points of interest
application 109 may be configured to allow a user to specify these
points of interest types through the user interface 105.
[0028] The queries which the location-based points of interest
application 109 are configured to send may or may not also specify
a distance which defines what is or is not to be considered as
local. For example, the queries sent by the location-based points
of interest application 109 may specify a range of one mile,
one-half mile, one quarter mile, at the current location only, or
some other distance limitation. The location-based points of
interest application 109 may be configured to allow a user to
specify this distance limitation through the user interface
105.
[0029] The location-based points of interest application 109 may be
configured to issue each query upon request of a user through the
user interface 105 or in accordance with a pre-programmed
schedule.
[0030] The location-based points of interest application 109 may be
configured to address each request to one or more location-based
points of interest servers, such as to the location-based points of
interest server 113. The location-based points of interest
application 109 may be configured to allow a user, carrier, or
other entity to specify these server addresses. When the
location-based points of interest application 109 is configured to
send the queries to multiple servers, the location-based points of
interest application 109 may be configured to consolidate the
responses which are received.
[0031] One or more servers may be configured to respond to that are
sent by location-based points of interest applications, such as the
location-based points of interest application 109. One example of
such a server is the location-based points of interest server
113.
[0032] The location-based points of interest server 113 may include
directory data 121. The directory data may include information
about any of the types of points of interest that are identified
above, as well as about any other types of points of interest. For
each service, the information may include the name of the service,
a description of the service, the location of the service, such as
its street address and/or longitude and latitude, and a telephone
number. If only a street address is stored, a mapping application
(not shown) may be used to determine its longitude and latitude, or
vice versa. The information about each service may include metadata
which is indicative of at least one classification for the service.
For example, the metadata might include one or more tags that are
descriptive of the service.
[0033] McDonald's, for example, might be tagged with metadata such
as "restaurant", "fast food", and/or "American food." These tags
may be the same as are used to categorize the service in a
telephone directory. These tags may be obtained from such a
directory by looking up the particular service organization and its
associated classification(s) in the directory.
[0034] The location-based points of interest server 113 may include
a points of interest manager application 118. The points of
interest manager application 118 may be configured to receive
queries from location-based points of interest applications, such
as the location-based points of interest application 109. It may be
configured to query the directory data 121 for information about
points of interest that are local to the mobile communication
device 101, based on the location information contained in the
query. The distance limitation that defines when a service is local
may be specified by a parameter which is internal to the
location-based points of interest application or which is part of
the received query. The points of interest manager application 118
may be configured to return the matching information that is
located within the directory data 121 to the querying
location-based points of interest application 109. All or portions
of the matching information may be returned, such as the name of
the service, the description of the service, its location, its
phone number, and/or the metadata about the service, such as its
tags. The points of interest manager application 118 may also be
configured to calculate how far each matching local service is from
the current location of the mobile communication device and to
return this information as well.
[0035] Upon receiving information responsive to a query, the
location-based points of interest application 109 may be configured
to present all or portions of this information to a user through
the user interface 105. For example, the location-based points of
interest application 109 may be configured to display a list of the
names of the local points of interest. The list may include the
location of the local service, including how far it is from the
current location of the mobile communication device 101, the
descriptive information about the service, and/or its phone number.
The location-based points of interest application 109 may be
configured to calculate the distance to each local service from the
current location of the mobile communication device 101, if this
information is not provided by the location-based points of
interest server 113.
[0036] The location, descriptive information, and/or phone number
for each service may instead be made available on a different
screen. The different screen may be linked to the name of the
service on the list, thereby avoiding screen clutter, while still
permitting the user to obtain this additional information.
[0037] All or portions of the information which is returned from
the location-based points of interest server 113 may also be
delivered to the application mapping application 111.
[0038] The application mapping application 111 may be configured to
locate user applications that are relevant to the local points of
interest. The application mapping application 111 may be configured
to locate these relevant applications by delivering a query to one
or more application mapping servers, such as to the application
mapping server 115. The application mapping application 111 may be
configured to utilize the mobile communication system 103 for the
purpose of sending these queries and receiving responses from
them.
[0039] Each query may include information about one or more of the
local points of interest which has been received from the
location-based points of interest server 113, such as the metadata
that may be associated with one or more of these local points of
interest, such as the tags. The application mapping application 111
may be configured to include all of the metadata about all of the
local points of interest in a single query, in a separate query for
each local service, or in some other arrangement of queries. Each
query may include information identifying the mobile communication
device 101 and the application mapping servers to which the query
should be delivered, such as to the application mapping server
115.
[0040] When the application mapping application 111 issue queries
for relevant applications to several application mapping servers,
the application mapping application 111 may be configured to
consolidate the responses which are received.
[0041] The application mapping application 111 may be configured to
allow the address or addresses of the targeted application mapping
servers to be programmed by a user through the user interface 105,
a carrier, and/or any other another entity.
[0042] The application mapping application 111 may be configured to
issue each query upon receiving new information from a
location-based points of interest server about the identity of a
local service, upon command by a user, on a periodic basis, and/or
in accordance with some other timing scheme.
[0043] The application mapping server 115 may include application
data 123. The application data 123 may include information about
various applications which may be downloaded and executed by the
mobile communication device 101. For each application, this
information may include the name of the application, a description
of the application, the cost of the application, and/or metadata
relating to the application. This information may also include
information about where a copy of the application may be
downloaded, such as one or more URL addresses of locations within
application store servers at which the application may be
downloaded, such as the application store server 117.
[0044] The metadata which is associated with each application in
the application data 123 may include one or more tags which are
descriptive of points of interest to which the application may be
relevant. For example, applications that provide games, video
clips, travel guides, or duty-free catalogs may each be associated
with the tag "airport," since each of these applications may be
relevant to a person who is at or is going to an airport.
Similarly, applications that calculate waiter tips, provide
restaurant reviews, provide nutritional guides, or translate words
may each be associated with the tag "restaurant," since each of
these applications may be relevant to a person who is at or is
going to a restaurant. Another example is the tag "grocery store"
for coupon applications, nutritional applications, price comparison
applications, and loyalty card applications.
[0045] A single application may have multiple tags associated with
it. For example, a video game application may have the tags
"airport," "bus terminal," and "train" associated with it.
[0046] When tags are associated with local points of interest in
the directory data 121 and with applications in the application
data 123, the tags may all be restricted to a common set of words,
such as to the descriptive classifications used in a telephone
directory for the points of interest.
[0047] The application mapping server 115 may include a mapping
manager application 125. The mapping manager application 125 may be
configured to receive queries for applications from application
mapping applications in mobile communication devices, such as the
application mapping application 111. The mapping manager
application 125 may be configured to query the application data 123
for applications which have metadata which matches the metadata
associated with the local points of interest, as contained with the
query. When the metadata is tags and when there are multiple tags,
a match may be designated when only one of these tags match, when
only all of them match, or when some other combination of them
matches. In other embodiments, the mapping manager application 125
may in addition or instead be configured to match all or a portion
of the title and/or the description of the local service with all
or a portion the title and/or the description of the applications
in the application data 123.
[0048] The mapping manager application 125 may be configured to
return information about the matching applications which are found
in the application data 123 to the application matching application
in the mobile communication device which sent the query, such as
the title of the application, the description of the application,
the cost of purchasing the application, and/or the location or
locations from which the application may be downloaded.
[0049] Application providers may pay fees in connection with their
applications for the purpose of causing their applications to be
listed within the application data 123 or for the purpose of
causing their applications to receive a preference over other
applications of the same type which may also be listed in the
application data 123. The preference may include a higher ranking
or another form of emphasis in the list that may be delivered in
connection with the application to the querying application mapping
application in the mobile communication device.
[0050] The application mapping application 111 may be configured to
receive information about matching applications from the
application mapping server 115. The application mapping application
111 may be configured to cause all or portions of this information
to be communicated to a user through the user interface 105.
[0051] For example, the application mapping application 111 may be
configured to cause a list of the matching applications to be
displayed. The list may include information such as the title of
the application, the description of the application, the cost of
downloading the application, and a location from which the
application may be purchased. The description, cost, and location
information may instead be on a separate screen which is linked to
the title of each application of the list, thereby minimizing
display clutter.
[0052] Some of the listed applications may already be loaded within
the mobile communication device 101, while others may not. In this
situation, the application mapping application 111 may be
configured to differentiate between these two classes of
applications by segregation, emphasis, and/or by other means.
[0053] If a listed application is already loaded within the mobile
communication device 101, the application mapping application 111
may be configured to link the name of the application to the
executable file for the application, so that the application runs
when its name on the list is selected.
[0054] If the matching application is not already loaded within the
mobile communication device 101, the application mapping
application 111 may instead be configured to link the name of the
application on the list to an application store server at which the
application may be purchased and downloaded, such as to the
application store server 117. The application mapping application
111 may be configured to instead link the name of the application
to a list of application store servers at which the application may
be obtained and to receive a selection from the user of one of
stores on the list.
[0055] Upon the user selecting a listed application or a listed
application store server for an application which is not already
loaded within the mobile communication device 101, the application
mapping application 111 may be configured to automatically download
the selected application from the application store and to cause
the user to be charged for it. The application mapping application
111 may instead be configured to present the user with one or more
dialog boxes, such as a dialog box seeking confirming that the user
wishes to purchase the application for a listed price.
[0056] The application store server 117 may be configured to
receive requests for applications from application mapping
applications in mobile communication devices, such as from the
application mapping application 111, and download the requested
applications into the mobile communication devices.
[0057] The application store server 117 may include an application
library 127. The application library 127 may include a set of
applications, each one of which may be purchased, downloaded, and
used by a user.
[0058] The application store server 117 may include a store manager
application 129. The store manager application 129 may be
configured to manage all aspects of an application purchase
transaction. For example, the store manager application 129 may be
configured to obtain a requested application from the application
library 127, to process billing and/or payment related to the
purchase of the application, and/or to download that application to
the requesting mobile communication device. The store manager
application 129 may be configured to perform these task
automatically without further input from the user or may present
the user with one or more dialog boxes, such as a box requesting
confirmation of the purchase transaction.
[0059] Although indicated as being separate, the application store
server 117 may be part of the application mapping server 115, or
vice versa.
[0060] Once the selected application has been purchased from the
application store server 117 and downloaded into the mobile
communication device 101, the downloaded application may be
installed and used by the user. The application mapping application
111 may be configured to automatically run a newly-installed
application that has been selected from a list provided by the
application mapping application 111 or to wait for a user to
request that the newly-downloaded application be executed.
[0061] The network communication system 119 may be configured to
facilitate communication between mobile communication devices, such
as the mobile communication device 101, and servers, such as the
location-based points of interest server 113, the application
mapping server 115, and/or the application store server 117. The
network communication system 119 may have any configuration to
facilitate this functionality. For example, the network
communication system 119 may include one or more mobile
communication networks, the internet, one or more gateways, one or
more local area networks, and/or one or more wide area
networks.
[0062] FIGS. 2a-2e illustrate a sequence of screens on a mobile
communication device that provide application suggestions based on
location-based directory information.
[0063] FIG. 2a illustrates a mobile communication device displaying
a home screen on a display. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the home
screen may include a tab designated "LBS," signifying location
based points of interest. Other types of icons, user-interfaces,
and/or designations may be used in addition or instead, such as
adding a "LBS" icon on the Applications screen or within a mapping
application, such as VZNavigator or Google Maps.
[0064] Upon selecting the LBS tab, the location-based points of
interest application 109 may be configured to query a
location-based points of interest server, such as the
location-based points of interest server 113, for information about
local points of interest, as described above. Upon receiving this
information, the application mapping application 111 may, in turn,
be configured to query an application mapping server, such as the
application mapping server 115, for information about relevant
applications, as also described above.
[0065] FIG. 2b illustrates a screen which may display after a user
selects the LBS tab in FIG. 2a. This screen may be assembled using
the information about the local points of interest which is
received from the location-based points of interest server 113 and
the information about the relevant applications which is received
from the application mapping server 115.
[0066] As illustrated in FIG. 2b, the screen may list the local
points of interest, organized by type. These types may be based on
the tags that may be associated with the local points of interest.
Distances from the mobile communication device may also be
displayed.
[0067] Applications relevant to one or more of these local points
of interest may also be listed. As illustrated in FIG. 2b, they may
be listed under a separate category, such as "VZ Apps" (standing
for "Verizon Applications"), along with the price for each.
[0068] As illustrated in FIG. 2b, only a few results may be
provided for each listed category. A "View More" link may be
provided in connection with each to see more. Vendors may pay to
have their points of interest and/or applications listed or to have
them listed with a higher priority or degree of prominence.
[0069] FIG. 2c illustrates a screen which may be displayed if the
user selects one of the local points of interest which are listed
in FIG. 2b, such as "Shaws." As illustrated in FIG. 2c, various
information about the local service may be provided, such as the
name of the local service, an address, store hours, a telephone
number, a button for calling the store, and a descriptive
category.
[0070] If the calling button is selected, the mobile communication
device may be configured to place a call to that local service at
the listed number.
[0071] As also illustrated in FIG. 2c, a list of the applications
which are relevant to the local points of interest may be provided
under a separate heading, such as "Suggested VZ Apps" ("VZ"
standing for Verizon), along the price for each.
[0072] A user may select one of the listed applications, such as
GroceryIQ. FIG. 2d illustrates a screen which may appear if the
user selects the "Grocery IQ" application. As illustrated in FIG.
2d, the name of the application may be displayed, along with the
descriptive information about the application, the price of
downloading the application, and a "Buy App" button that is
configured to enable the user to purchase and download the
application.
[0073] If the "Buy App" button is selected, the application may be
automatically downloaded and installed in the mobile communication
device 101, and the user may be billed for the purchase.
Alternatively, the user may be taken to one or more screens at an
application store server at which the application may be purchased,
such as to the application store server 117.
[0074] While at the screen illustrated in FIG. 2b, a user may
instead select a listed application, such as "Movies by IMDB" This
is illustrated in FIG. 2e. Upon making such a selection, a screen
comparable to the one illustrated in FIG. 2d may be displayed and
may function in the same way.
[0075] Different types of user interfaces may be used to
communicate local points of interest and relevant applications and
to facilitate their selection.
[0076] The various applications which have been discussed, such as
the location-based points of interest application, the application
mapping application, the points of interest manager application,
application manager application, and the store manager application,
may each consist of computer-readable programming instructions
software stored on computer-readable media. The instructions may
include one or more algorithms specifically written to implement
each of the functions of each application which have been described
herein, as well as other functions.
[0077] The computer-readable storage media may be of any type,
including one or more RAMS, ROMS, ePROMS, flash memories, CD's,
DVD's, hard disk drives, and/or any combination of them. One or
more of these applications may be initially stored on one type of
computer-readable storage media, such as ROMS, ePROMS, flash
memories, CD's, DVD's, and/or hard disk drives, and transferred to
another type in whole or in part, such as RAM, during
execution.
[0078] The components of the location-based points of interest
server, the application mapping server, and/or the application
store server may either be separate from the mobile communication
device 101, as illustrated in FIG. 1, or part of the mobile
communication device 101. For example, the mobile communication
device 101 may include the points of interest manager application
118, the directory data 121, the mapping manager application 125,
and/or the application data 123.
[0079] The application suggestions which have now been described
based on location-based directory information may be provided
without the user supplying any personal information about the
user.
[0080] The components, steps, features, objects, benefits and
advantages that have been discussed are merely illustrative. None
of them, nor the discussions relating to them, are intended to
limit the scope of protection in any way. Numerous other
embodiments are also contemplated. These include embodiments that
have fewer, additional, and/or different components, steps,
features, objects, benefits and advantages. These also include
embodiments in which the components and/or steps are arranged
and/or ordered differently.
[0081] For example, within the Application store itself, there may
be an option to view applications related to one's location, just
like there's an option for "Most Popular." Or within a mapping
application, whenever a map shows a business listing, the map may
also list the associated applications.
[0082] Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings,
positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set
forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow,
are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable
range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate
and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.
[0083] All articles, patents, patent applications, and other
publications which have been cited in this disclosure are hereby
incorporated herein by reference.
[0084] The phrase "means for" when used in a claim is intended to
and should be interpreted to embrace the corresponding structures
and materials that have been described and their equivalents.
Similarly, the phrase "step for" when used in a claim embraces the
corresponding acts that have been described and their equivalents.
The absence of these phrases means that the claim is not intended
to and should not be interpreted to be limited to any of the
corresponding structures, materials, or acts or to their
equivalents.
[0085] Nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or
should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step,
feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public,
regardless of whether it is recited in the claims.
[0086] The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that
now follow. That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be
as broad as is consistent with the ordinary meaning of the language
that is used in the claims when interpreted in light of this
specification and the prosecution history that follows and to
encompass all structural and functional equivalents.
* * * * *